Which setting should you choose for your mobile game?

Here is the download and revenue distribution among the top 10 settings: Top 3 settings by revenue:1. Fantasy• $26B• 56.5% of total revenue• YoY growth: +5%2. Real Life• $7B• 14.9% of total revenue• YoY growth: +16% 💰3. Military• $4B• 9.5% of total revenue• YoY growth: -4%But revenue isn't the full story.Here's the downloads distribution:Top 3 settings by downloads:1. Real Life• 9.9B downloads• 37.2% of total downloads• YoY growth: +15%2. Sports• 6B downloads• 22.7% of total downloads• YoY growth: -1%3. Fantasy• 5.6B downloads• 21.1% of total downloads• YoY growth: +24% 💹Notable trends:• Fantasy leads the way in both engagement and earnings. A 24% YoY download growth and a 56.5% revenue share prove its dominance.• Real Life settings are booming, with a 15% rise in downloads and a strong 16% boost in revenue.• Horror and Historical settings are struggling, with double-digit declines […]

Anton Slashcev September 1

Journal

Career Paths for Game Designers

Starting as a game designer is just the beginning.Let's explore the possibilities:𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁• Lead Game Designer ➡️ Product Owner ➡️ Creative Director ➡️ Chief Product Officer (CPO)𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁• Associate Producer ➡️ Producer ➡️ Executive Producer ➡️ VP of Strategy• Team Lead ➡️ Project Manager (PM) ➡️ Development Director ➡️ Chief Operating Officer (COO)𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽• Game Design Generalist ➡️ Game Director ➡️ Co-Founder𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿• Indie Solo Developer ➡️ Indie Studio Head ➡️ CEO• Freelance Game Designer ➡️ Game Design Consultant ➡️ Advisor𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻• Content Creator ➡️ Influencer ➡️ Media Owner• Guest Speaker ➡️ Lecturer ➡️ Game Design School Owner𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴• Publishing Manager ➡️ Publishing Producer ➡️ Head of Publishing• Analyst ➡️ Lead Analyst ➡️ LiveOps Director𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴• Creative Manager ➡️ Creative Producer ➡️ Lead Creative Producer ➡️ Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

Anton Slashcev August 31

Journal

Mobile Gaming is in trouble.

Monthly downloads and revenue for the top 10 genres are still lower than 3 years ago. Revenue is down by 13%. ↳ Top genres like RPGs and Shooters saw big drops↳ Puzzle and Action/Brawl games are on the riseDownloads have dipped by 4%.↳ Arcade games took a hit↳ Genres like Casino and Sports are gaining momentumKey takeaways:• RPGs: -23% revenue• Puzzle: +17% revenue• Arcade: -19% downloads• Casino: +23% downloads

Anton Slashcev August 28

Journal

Classic Retention vs. 24-Hour vs. Rolling Retention

Here is a breakdown of the three main types of retention: 1. Classic RetentionTracks how many users return on specific days after their first play.• Formula: (Users on Day X / Users on Day 0) * 100%• Example: Day 7 Retention = 30%, meaning 30 out of 100 users return exactly on the 7th day.• Use Case: Identifying when users drop off to improve retention strategies.2. 24-Hour RetentionFlexible for analyzing user interest after events or milestones within any 24 hours.• Formula: (Users in last 24 hours / Users in previous 24 hours) * 100%• Example: 24-Hour Retention = 40%, meaning 40 out of 100 users active within the last 24 hours return.• Use Case: Assessing engagement post-event or update.3. Rolling RetentionMeasures users who return on or after a specific day, reflecting long-term engagement.• Formula: (Users active on & after Day […]

Anton Slashcev August 25

Journal

Squad Busters is back?

A recent major update resulted in a 125% increase in daily revenue. Here is a breakdown of the update: Key Updates & Features1. Bullets and Burgers (Seasonal Event)• Season Pass: Players can earn rewards through milestones using Gems.• Monetization: The Premium Pass is the main monetization strategy.• Gameplay Mechanics: Players can now earn final rewards repeatedly by using Gems, enhancing engagement and session frequency.• Additional Content: New reskins include 'The Desolation of Chickens,' 'Moonlight Matchup,' and 'Beach Party.'2. Get a Spell!• Unlock Abilities: Players must use active abilities in core gameplay to unlock new ones.• Extended Event: Now running for 4 days to keep players engaged longer.• Player Engagement: This update boosts session numbers and player retention, potentially increasing monetization.3. Sneak Peek! Lava World (New Map and Content)• New Map: Introducing "Lava World" with a fresh gameplay loop that requires […]

Anton Slashcev August 22

Journal

Key Insights from AppMagic’s H1’24 Casual Games Report

• A solid 11% YoY revenue growth (casual; tier-1 west), reaching $7.2B —but not all genres fared equally.↳ 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀:Merge-2, Match-3, Match 3D, Sort Puzzle, and Casual Casino genres led the charge.↳ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲:Many other genres like Idle Tycoon didn’t fare as well, highlighting the market’s complexity.↳ 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵-𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮:Despite a 23% drop in downloads, revenue rose by 9% YoY, thanks largely to Royal Match.↳ 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲-𝟮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮:Downloads grew by 20% YoY, but revenue skyrocketed by 107%, with Travel Town leading the charge.↳ 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝟯𝗗:Revenue doubled, driven by new titles, even as the genre’s pioneer, Triple Match 3D, stagnated.↳ 𝗜𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝘆𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗻:Revenue and downloads dropped by 19% and 20%, respectively, yet strong LiveOps strategies are keeping the genre alive.↳ 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗼:Monopoly GO! took over from Coin Master, leading to a 146% revenue increase, even as downloads stayed flat.↳ 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗣𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲:The […]

Anton Slashcev August 21

Journal

Core vs. Meta in Mobile Games

Here’s a breakdown of time distribution in different games:1. Manor Matters: Core - 51.5%, Meta - 48.5%2. Gardenscapes: Core - 56.0%, Meta - 44.0%3. Design Home: Core - 60.9%, Meta - 39.1%4. Seekers Notes: Core - 61.9%, Meta - 38.1%5. Solitaire Grand Harvest: Core - 68.6%, Meta - 31.4%6. Slotomania: Core - 74.0%, Meta - 26.0%7. Royal Match: Core - 74.1%, Meta - 25.9%8. Caesars Casino: Core - 74.7%, Meta - 25.3%9. House of Fun: Core - 77.6%, Meta - 22.4%10. June's Journey: Core - 78.1%, Meta - 21.9%11. DoubleDown: Core - 79.5%, Meta - 20.5%12. Fishdom Solitaire: Core - 81.5%, Meta - 18.5%13. Toon Blast: Core - 81.9%, Meta - 18.1%14. Texas Poker: Pokerist: Core - 82.5%, Meta - 17.5%15. Bingo Blitz: Core - 83.9%, Meta - 16.1%16. Best Fiends: Core - 85.1%, Meta - 14.9%17. WSOP: Core - […]

Anton Slashcev August 19

Journal

Match-3 Gaming Landscape: 2021 vs. 2024

In just three years, the top-10 match-3 games have seen a dramatic shift. August 2021:• Candy Crush Saga led the pack with $77.7M in revenue• Homescapes and Gardenscapes held strong, both exceeding $40M• Fishdom and Candy Crush Soda Saga rounded out the top 5Fast forward to July 2024:• Royal Match skyrocketed with an incredible 394% increase• Candy Crush Saga remains strong, growing by 12% to $86.8M.• Match Masters experienced 48% growthHowever, several popular titles have declined:• Homescapes dropped 48%.• Candy Crush Soda Saga fell 27%.• Project Makeover plummeted by 55%.• LINE PokoPoko saw a 44% decrease.What's happening?↳ Match-3 games with simplified meta (Royal Match, Match Masters) are overtaking those with deeper meta (Homescapes, Project Makeover).↳ These faster-paced games are growing revenue and taking audiences from slower, more complex titles.Why?↳ In the "post-TikTok" era, speed and high dynamics are key.↳ Games […]

Anton Slashcev August 15

Journal

How Diversified Are The Largest Game Publishers?

Here’s the monthly revenue distribution of some industry giants. Tencent NetEase Playrix Scopely King Supercell

Anton Slashcev August 12

Journal

Brawl Stars: Monthly Revenue Increased By 500%

Brawl Stars' monthly revenue increased by 500%. From $9M to $57M. How did they achieve this in one year? Here are the key updates that made a massive impact:1. Goal Setting and Engagement Mechanics • Double Starr Drops• Brawl Together• Trophy League2. Awesome Battle Passes • Packed with cool rewards and collabs3. Diversified Gameplay with new PVP and PVE events: • Wipeout 5v5• Trophy Escape• Knockout 5v5 Data Source: AppMagic

Anton Slashcev August 6

Journal

What Percentage Of Game Time Are Players Socially Engaged?

Here's the breakdown of social presence in popular games: • Zynga Poker (with Core): 85%• Monopoly Go: 70%• Board Kings: 70%• Coin Master: 67%• Dice Dreams: 27%• Animals & Coins: 18%• Solitaire Tripeaks: 10%• June's Journey: 9%• Candy Crush Saga: 7%• Royal Match: 5%• Zynga Poker (without Core): 5%• Fishdom: 4%• Best Fiends: 0%• Solitaire Grand Harvest: 0%Statistics are based on 10-hour playtests for each game, during which all moments where the player sees avatars or names of other players on the screen were counted.Data Source: Playliner

Anton Slashcev August 2

Journal

Want To Be A Top 1% Game Producer?

Here are 20 harsh truths you need to embrace: 𝟭. 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆↳ You must be a gamer to understand gamers.𝟮. 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀↳ Hiding errors creates secrecy and distrust within the team.𝟯. 𝗡𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁↳ Every choice comes with uncertainties and trade-offs.𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀↳ Chasing mythical insights can lead to failure.𝟱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀↳ No game is perfect from the start. Iteration is key.𝟲. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻↳ Cool ideas are common; cool execution is rare.𝟳. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀↳ Treat them like valued guests, or they’ll leave.𝟴. 𝗙𝘂𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴↳ If the game isn’t fun, no features or monetization will save it.𝟵. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗴↳ If you can’t make a small game work, more resources won’t help.𝟭𝟬. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 […]

Anton Slashcev August 1

Anton Slashcev

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